Action Item

Attn: Illinois Shakers

Shaker katebears emails urgently:

On May 31st, the Illinois General Assembly passed a budget that will drastically effect social services. All social services will suffer including services for the elderly, children, people experiencing homelessness, and those living with mental illnesses. The cuts will particularly hamper the work at rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters.

Chicago currently has a mere 200 beds in domestic violence shelters all over the city. If these cuts are enacted, 1 shelter will have to close, making a great need even greater. Approximately 56,000 rape and domestic violence survivors will be without appropriate services should these cuts pass. Another 80,000 families will be without appropriate child care and early childhood education.

If we do nothing, the budget will pass – unconscionable cuts and all. I can only urge you to contact your legislators. Four representatives have been consistently meeting with the Governor about this crisis (see their contact information below). Tell them what these cuts will mean to you. All of us benefit from social services or have friends and family that do. This budget truly shapes all of our lives and hopefully with enough of a backlash we can change the destiny of the budget.

House Speaker Michael Madigan: (773) 581-8000 or mmadigan@ilga.gov
House Minority Leader Tom Cross: (815) 254-0000 or tom@tomcross.com
Senate President John Cullerton: (773) 883-0770 or john@senatorcullterton.com
Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno: (630) 243-0800 or cradogno@sbcglobal.net

Please also make sure to pass this on to anyone you know in Illinois, and, as always, blog it!